Percussion Discussion Podcast

Joining me today is Chris Allan
Chris is a prominent UK-based rock and metal session drummer known for his high-energy style and extensive touring experience. He is currently the drummer for Ronnie Romero, Marco Mendoza and performs in the popular theatre show The Story of Guitar Heroes. 

Career Highlights
* Ronnie Romero Band: Currently touring and recording with the acclaimed rock vocalist, including work on the album Backbone.
* Marco Mendoza: 
* The Story of Guitar Heroes: Performs extensively in UK theatres, showcasing drumming styles that have shaped rock history.
* Malefice: Spent four years (2010–2014) as the drummer for this Metal Blade Records outfit, touring with heavyweights like Anthrax, Testament, and Arch Enemy.
* Session Work: Has recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios and contributed drums to TV broadcasts including Radio 1 and the UEFA Champions League.
* Tributes: A lifelong fan of Cozy Powell, Chris performed a tribute solo at Powell's memorial plaque unveiling in 2016 also performing at the last Cozy Powell Birthday Bash

Equipment and Endorsements
Chris is an official artist for several major industry brands, often featuring them in his studio and live setups: 
* Cymbals: Paiste Artist, frequently using the 2002 and Formula 602 series.
* Drums: Pearl Drums.
* Drumheads & Sticks: Endorsed by Remo and Vic Firth. 

www.chrisallandrums.com

Huge thanks to Chris for taking the time to do this interview.

Bob Henrit is a prominent English rock drummer best known for his long-term memberships in the bands Argent and The Kinks 

* Early Years: He first gained attention in the 1960s with The Roulettes, who served as the backing band for singer Adam Faith.

 * Argent (1969–1976): As a founding member, he played on hits like "Hold Your Head Up" and remained with the group until they disbanded.

 * The Kinks (1984–1996): Henrit replaced original drummer Mick Avory and performed with the band until their split in the mid-90s. 

* Session Work: He has a prolific session history, contributing to tracks such as Unit 4 + 2's "Concrete and Clay" and working with artists like Roger Daltrey and Dave Davies.

  * Author & Historian: In 2013, he published his autobiography, Banging On, and has written extensively for music publications like International Musician.

 * Business: He owned Henrit's Drum Store in London, a famous hub frequented by legendary drummers including Ringo Starr and Keith Moon. 

* Recent Years: Henrit has been open about his Parkinson's disease diagnosis, discussing how he manages the condition while staying active in the music community. 

 Bob is without doubt one of my favourite people and a fabulous drummer, he has so many remarkable stories to share and is always happy to do so! if you are lucky enough to see Bob at a drum show or event go and have a chat with him, you won’t regret it! Thanks for your time Bob!

Joining me for this episode is Vicky O'Neon. 

Vicky O'Neon is an award-winning session drummer, percussionist, and educator originally from Finland and currently based in the UK. She is widely recognised for her high-energy performances and her extensive work as the touring drummer and percussionist for American pop star Anastacia. 

* Collaborations: Vicky has worked with legendary artists such as Brian May (Queen), Hans Zimmer, Nile Rodgers, and Clean Bandit. 

* TV Appearances: She is a member of the house band for the American TV show Name That Tune. 

* Technology Integration: A specialist in Ableton Live, she often incorporates electronic loops and hybrid drumming setups into her live sets and masterclasses.  Education

 * Academic Background: She graduated with a BMus (Hons) in Popular Music Performance from BIMM London (formerly Tech Music School), where she received the "Top Overall Drummer Award". 

* Social Impact: Vicky is a co-founder of the non-profits Girls Rock London and Rock Donna, which aim to empower girls and gender non-conforming individuals through music education. 

* Online Content: She created the educational YouTube series Drumming Through The Decades, exploring the history of female-identifying drummers. 

 Huge thanks to Vicky for finding time in her busy schedule to chat. 

www.vickyoneon.com

Episode 181 - -Brandon Toews

 Brandon is a professional drummer, author, and educator best known as the Content Director and on-camera host for Drumeo, the world's leading online drum education platform. Drumeo Host & Producer: Since 2014, he has produced and hosted popular series like "Hears For The First Time" and "Genius Of," where he analyzes the styles of legendary drummers.

 Author: He is the author of The Drummer’s Toolbox and co-author of The Best Beginner Drum Book.

 Educator: Beyond digital content, he is a seasoned educator who has taught thousands of students through Drumeo and private lessons. 

Performer: He performs internationally, including a 2025 appearance at the UK Drum Show. Education: He holds a Bachelor of Music in Jazz and Contemporary Popular Music from MacEwan University. 

Influences: His playing style is influenced by a diverse range of drummers, from classic rock legends like Neil Peart to modern técnicos like Matt Garstka and Larnell Lewis.

 Gear Endorsements: He is an official artist for Gretsch Drums, Istanbul Cymbals, Vater Percussion, and Evans Drumheads. 

Huge thanks to Brandon for giving up his lunch hour at Drumeo to chat to me! much appreciated. 

www.drumeo.com

Percussion Discussion Podcast - Episode 180 - Derek Roddy

Derek Roddy is a world-renowned American drummer and multi-instrumentalist, widely celebrated for his pioneering role in extreme metal drumming. Known by the nickname "One Take" for his legendary ability to record complex tracks in a single attempt, he is a primary authority on speed and precision in the death metal community. 

Hate Eternal & Nile: Roddy gained international fame as the powerhouse behind Hate Eternal and has performed or recorded with other titan acts like Nile, Malevolent Creation, and Today Is the Day.

Serpents Rise: In 2007, he founded this instrumental extreme metal project to explore obscure sounds and complex percussion without the constraints of traditional metal vocals.

Anthrax - Derek finds himself standing in for Charlie Benante on the dates that he couldn’t make due to be on tour with Pantera.

Dream Theater Audition: In 2010, he was one of seven elite drummers chosen to audition for the vacancy left by Mike Portnoy.

He continues to be prolific, currently performing with bands such as Isotropy, Imperishable, and The Deboning Method. 

A prolific clinician and educator, Roddy has produced definitive resources for modern drummers: 
* Blast Beats Evolved: A comprehensive instructional DVD focusing on the mechanics of blast beats and conditioning for speed.
* Playing With Your Drums: An enlightening programme that addresses ergonomics, gear setup, and positioning for all drumming styles.
* Technique Innovations: He is famous for his specific double bass technique and "finger-on-top" snare muting technique to enhance sound clarity during fast

Joining me today is Bob Knight.

 Bob Knight is a prolific London-based session drummer, musical director, and "fixer" who has worked with some of the biggest names in the international music scene for over two decades. 

Bob Knight - Session Drummer.

 A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music's jazz performance course, Knight is widely recognized for his versatility across live performances, studio recordings, and television shows. His extensive list of high-profile collaborations includes:

 Pop & Soul: CeeLo Green, Jason Derulo, Nicole Scherzinger, and Rita Ora.

 Rock & Folk: The Pogues, James Taylor, and Nik Kershaw. 

Jazz & Standards: Alison Moyet and Rumer.

 Musical Directing and "Fixing" In addition to playing drums, Knight is the founder and director of BEK Music, a agency that supplies musicians for major recording projects, tours, and TV/radio promotions. He often serves as a Musical Director (MD) and a "fixer"—a person responsible for sourcing and managing the right musicians for specific high-level gigs. 

Huge thanks to Bob for giving us a fascinating insight to his crazy busy career (at least a part of it, we can talk about his role as "fixer" next time.)

Joining me today is Ross Garfield AKA The Drum Doctor! 

Drum Doctors LLC , owned by Ross Garfield (aka "The Drum Doctor"), is a premier drum service and rental company in the Los Angeles area known for providing expert tuning and vintage drum rentals for countless platinum-selling albums and major artists. 

Known for their expertise in achieving specific, high-quality drum sounds, Ross Garfield and his team have worked with artists like Metallica, Nirvana, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Michael Jackson. 

Join Ross and myself for a very rare podcast appearance where Ross tells us all about his amazing career so far from his humble beginnings through to working with the late great Jeff Porcaro throught to supplying the now legendary snare drum The bell brass drum nicknamed " The Terminator" that has been heard on so many legendary recordings including Nirvanas classic album Nevermind and also tells us how he supplied set up and tuned the Gretsch set to Metallica to record the iconic Black album featuring the single Enter Sandman. 

huge thanks to Ross for this incredible conversation. 

please checkout the Drum Doctors Website www.drumdoctors.com

Joining me today is producer Tom Werman.

 Tom Werman boasts an incredible career as record producer in the late 70's to the 90's he has been responsible for producing such legendary albums as

 Cat Scratch Fever - Ted Nugent 

Treasure - Cheap Trick

 Molly Hatchett - Flirtin' With Disaster Dream 

Police - Cheap Trick

 Blue Oyster Cult - Mirrors

 Motley Crue - Shout At The Devil

 Motley Crue - Theatre Of Pain

 Motley Crue - Girls Girls Girls 

Twisted Sister - Stay Hungry

 Dokken - Tooth and Nail

 Poison - Open up and say ahh! 

So Tom is more than qualified to talk about some of the incredible drummers he has produced over the years including Tommy Lee, Rikki Rockett, Bun.E . Carlos and many more. Join us as Tom share his fascinating insights in plus many many more!to his incredible career. This is totally different to any conversation i have had before, and do you know what......? i loved it! 

Huge thanks to Tom for giving up his time so generously and please check out his most excellent book - Turn It Up, My Time Making Hit Records In The Glory Days Of Rock Music! 

www.tomwerman.com

Joining me today is Matt Brooks.

 Drummer and Musical Director Matt Brooks already has a CV full of household names such as Nicole Scherzinger, Meghan Trainor, Raleigh Ritchie, Conor Maynard, Jason Derulo and many more.... 

However for almost 9 years now Matt has been providing the groove for the sensational artist Raye, this year has been the biggest so far for Raye and her huge band after the smash hit Where is my husband? took thw world by storm! 

Matt kindly managed to find some time to talk to me amidst a punishing schedule of transatlantic flights almost every week to appear on the biggest talk shows in the US whilst trying to record a new album. 

Matt is a very nice guy and a monster drummer, i really hope you enjoy our chat about his career so far and his very hectic schedule!!

Joining me today is David Greenie Green. 

Greenie is a British Drummer with a very healthy CV already boasting such names as Sam Fender, Reef, Vant, Ricky Wrwick, Little Comet, Andy Taylor (From Duran Duran ) and most recently he has made up half of the rhythm section for the legendary Adam Ant alongside his rhythmic partner in crime Jola Drums.

 Join Greenie and myself as we talk about his career and journey into becomig a professional drummer and of course he gives us a great insight into playing for the 80's icon Adam Ant. 

Greenie, thanks so much for giving up your time so generously! what a pleasure.